Fragments on the Northwest, 1833-1835

STOP

Early Journal Content on JSTOR, Free to Anyone in the World

This article is one of nearly 500,000 scholarly works digitized and made freely available to everyone in
the world by JSTOR.

Known as the Early Journal Content, this set of works include research articles, news, letters, and other
writings published in more than 200 of the oldest leading academic journals. The works date from the
mid-seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries.

We encourage people to read and share the Early Journal Content openly and to tell others that this
resource exists. People may post this content online or redistribute in any way for non-commercial
purposes.

Read more about Early Journal Content at http://about.jstor.org/participate-jstor/individuals/early-
journal-content .

JSTOR is a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary source objects. JSTOR helps people
discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content through a powerful research and teaching
platform, and preserves this content for future generations. JSTOR is part of ITHAKA, a not-for-profit
organization that also includes Ithaka S+R and Portico. For more information about JSTOR, please
contact support@jstor.org.

Vol. I, No. 2 Fragments on the Northwest, 1833-1835 269

divided into one or more States, that the people have a right to emigrate
from one State to another, and form new States in different Countries
Whenever they can thereby promote their own Ease & Safty. Yet nev-
ertheless we wish to remind you of the proclamat n of 1763, the State of
Vandilia being laid out, "West of the Allegany Mountains, that all Char-
ters may be nearly investigated, their true meaning explained, that all
Bargains, Conveyances, & Compacts, entered into by either State "With
another, which are not founded on that power delegated by the People
to such Assembly, may not be obligatory On the Subject, that you in
your wisdom will enter into, & candidly determine all Such Matters &
Things, as so nearly concern any of the subjects of America, & which
tend to sap & undermine the Liberty of the People, Praying, whether
we are or are not included, in any of the United States by their or
either of their Charters, you will lay Off a State for the Ease & Con-
venience of your Memorialists, encouraging the setling the "Western
"World, thereby enabling the other States to more permanently estab-
lish our Independanee and Settle the Minds of the People, nothing doubt-
ing, but that all the united States in general will readily grant us the
Liberties & Blessings they themselves wish to enjoy, & your Memorialists
in Duty bound Shall ever pray etc.

Fragments on the Northwest, 1833-1835

George Cornelius, who resided at Pittsburg, Kentucky, in
1833 and 1834, was the recipient of a bundle of letters that are
now in the possession of his great-grandson, Professor J. G. D.
Mack, of Madison, Wisconsin. One of these, written by John
G. Davis, his son-in-law who was already active in Indiana pol-
itics and who later represented the Rockville, Indiana, district
in several congresses, was dated at Rockville, July 8, 1835, writ-
ten and wrapped in a single folded sheet and sent for twelve and
one-half cents postage to Shelbyville, Indiana. In this letter
Davis speaks of Chicago as follows :

My predictions in relation to Chicago made some years since, are now
being verified, from recent advices, the rise in real property and the in-
flux of migration are unexampled in the "Western "World. Lots in Town
with small improvements are selling at from 10 to 15,000$. the right
of preemption on qr. see. of Land are worth from 8 to 10,000$. Several
persons former citizens of this County have become immensely wealthy
merely by settling on a tract of Land & improving it sufficiently to hold
the preemption, and money is a mere drug. Altho this looks incredible

270 Notes and Documents M - v - H - E -

it is nevertheless true. The emigration to the northern part of Illinois
is unprecedented, whether this state of things can last long or not I
cant say, it seems hardly possible.

A second of the Cornelius letters, written by one J. T. Bishop
from Macomb, McDonough County, Illinois, gives a condensed
view of the life history of the pioneer, bis primitive duties, his
debts, and bis dependence upon the world outside :

Mecome Sep 12 1834
Dear Cousin

I have not heard from you all lately i have expected a letter from
you and allso Mr. Pitts wee are not well Jackson has had and attack
with the Colery or some other bad complaint it has terminated to thee
ager and fever i have had a small spell myself but wee are all well enuf
to attend to our bisness wee are at worke at preasant at makeing brick
for the Court house and so soon as the frost stops us wee will go to
worke at our mill wee will first put up a saw mill and then a griss
mill wee have engaged two run of racoon Bus stones from a man from
the state of Ohio to be delived at beardstown thare is no mill under 22
miles of us i want you to rite to me how times is going on and i shold
like to hear from Mr. Pitts wee wold like to have him heare i want
you to visit this country I kow you wold like it. it is the best wheat
and stock country in the world I wold be glad to get some leather sole
and uper i cold get a great deal of worke done for shoes or leather as
thare is no tan yard in our neighborhood i shold be glad to get about
one hundred dollars worth of shoe leather if you have any it cold be
sent to beardstown concind to Nap & Page foi'iding merchants Jackson
left his gun in Petersburg if you send me any leather the gun can be
put in a box with it and sent on i want you to right to me how bisness
has been transacted i want you to send word to old Mr. Roberson to
not let any person shave my paper i intend to pay him i eighteen
months and he can do without it till then i have nothing moore at
preasant but remain your

J. T. Bishop
George Corneljour

In a third letter written to Cornelius by Davis, from Indian-
apolis, January 7, 1833, allusion is made to the ponding issue of
nullification :

I am happy to say that the unanimity of feeling in this body [the
Indiana legislature] in regard to the Presidents Proclamation, was never

Vol. i, No. 2 Early German Settlers 211

equalled, it has quelled party feeling & every matter like party strife
is merged into a anxiety for the wellfare of our General Government,
in short the effect is a happy one. The Counter Proclamation of Gov.
Hayne has been received, but with a very different feeling, it is treated
with perfect indignity, the prevailing opinion here is, that the insur-
rection must end in a bloody conflict. "May God forbid"

F. L. P.

Early German Settlers on the Lower Missouri

Among the original documents, pertaining to the Germans in
this country, which Dr. William G. Bek of the German depart-
ment of the University of North Dakota has collected, and which
he is at present preparing for publication in the Publications
of the North Dakota Historical Society, are two splendidly kept
diaries, extending over more than fifty years. The writers of
these diaries were Frederick and Hermann Steines, brothers,
one a teacher by profession, the other an apothecary, both
splendidly educated men. These diaries together with a most
extensive correspondence by different members of the Steines
family, diaries as well as correspondence being painstakingly
preserved, give a graphic picture of the condition of unrest that
obtained in Germany during the early part of the nineteenth
century; they tell of the enormous impetus which German emi-
gration to America received from Gottfried Duden's overen-
thusiastic BericM; of the emigration of the Steines family to
America, giving a most minute description of every occurrence
on the voyage; they tell in great detail about the trip from
Baltimore to St. Louis, a part of the immigrants going over-
land by way of Pittsburgh and the other by way of Wheeling
and from these two points by boat to St. Louis on the Ohio and
the Mississippi, both parties following Duden's directions as to
the route ; they give a picture of St. Louis in 1834 ; they describe
most realistically the terrible ravages of the cholera in the
Mississippi Valley during the years following their arrival, a
large number of the famliy dying of this dreaded plague ; they
give an interesting story of pioneer life in the wooded valley
of lower Missouri ; they contain an account of the founding and
operation of Oakland Academy, one of the first academies of
Missouri, founded by Frederick Steines who also was its prin-